turbo200

hmmmmm.....great catch. It kinda resembles the Terradyne (I hope)

Your fervent passion for superiority is appreciated. However, for the time being, [I know, that's lame] I think it's okay that they release it with this proven mechanical.

in the '50's how many 4 car makes were there? It's an easy formula, you take a wildly successful nameplate and make it even more desirable by making it accessible to millions more, all the while hurting the image of the nameplate. Of course the Thunderbird was gonna be a success, the design was smashing, baby! Solstice is a purpose-built roadster, would a little trunk space help? Sure, but this car is not gonna sell to more than 40k people a year in a very very good year. those few can sacrifice trunk space until the next gen .

HAHA, I completely agree reg...

However, you are wrong, and in a sense right here. Everybody likes to look good- and about the same amount of people like to feel good. Styling and good design will convert a lot of Toyota-nuts--don't underestimate it. Quality and value HAVE to be there. GM has been making those kinds of cars for years now, even going back to the original Oldsmobile Aurora, though lacking in many respects, was a very good value for its class. That car had style, and that was the reason you still see quite a few of them around (well maybe not in Cali). The current Malibu is a good quality car, it's still lacking, but overall is a solid value. It's sales are not exactly setting the world on fire, or at least not surpassing the Camry.

Quoted for emphasis. I think a lot of people on here forget to consider the class when thier expectations for the end-all be-all vehicle are dashed. Personally, design sells, good design sells, and the Impala is too conservative and not innovative enough to be considered ground-breaking or good design.

A roadster is not required to have trunk space, it just makes the car better. However, on its own merits, the Solstice deserves a 10 out of 10. It's damn near perfect.

did the weight increase on these trucks at all

I don't really see why you would say the execution is lacking. Take a look at the competition, I think it's safe to say that with the specs we have so far (20mpg!!) and with DOD and hybrid versions still yet to come this will fairly whomp the competition, and all with a dose of Chevy rugged style and some newfound extra class. I'm not at all disappointed by the ommission of 6-spds. It doesn't really bother me as much, since thje rest of the vehicle is so good. Of course it will be a good day when the 6-spds are available, but so far this is a great vehicle and a great buy in this class, and that is what matters in the end. The interior will blow other more expensive vehicles out of the water, including Navigator and Toyota Sequioa (Navigator's materials are NOT a significant step up from the F-series, it's the design that makes the Navi nice).

They will not be, it's already been confirmed by insiders. This interior is amazing. The exterior is beautiful- no surprises there, but still very nice. The mileage achieved is incredible--as good as a CTS! The whole package is phenomonal, and the interior looks like it has much higher quality materials than the F-150---or any truck, just look at the HVAC controls.

I think most of those arguments are petty. It's really pretty pointless to argue about something you have no idea about AND have no control over. We have to leave it in the hands of the creators and hope for the best. I am confident the final product we will end up with will be something amazing. If it looks anything like that Camaro in the picture, I will be very happy.

Great review. Very positive, and I like the last line about mimicing all the good things that make Camcord such good sellers.

I voted for the Escalade, but what I really can't wait to see is the whole package on these things. I really think the Escalade is going to blow us away, but the interiors on these things is part of what I am really looking forward to. Now that the Tahoe is coming out Tuesday (!), I am most anticipating it.

It is a departure from Pontiac norm, but in shape only, the styling is still similar to Pontiacs before it. The corporate grille and headlights are renditions of everything before it, and not that I don't like it, but I think we've seen the design evolution of those traits enough already. My thinking is just with the face, I tend to focus on the face a lot. The face the rear is making is all Pontiac, tailights that scream traditional Pontiac, a rear bumper license plate that is in the traditional Pontiac space and shape, decklid shaped a lot like a lot of other Pontiacs; it's these things we've seen before. We are seeing a very different shape, the G6 carries a lot from new Pontiac (some Solstice language). It comes inspired by Porsche, Audi TT, BMW, even the Toyota Celica all have had thier influences in the Pontiac's design. Those rear shots posted above by caddy are tasty. I really like that angle of the rear. This is a great design, but I think a few of the details could have been better. And in my mind, Pontiac should be about design that is still more aggressive than what the G6 is, beautiful as it is already. I think maybe the tone of my review came off a little abrupt and serious, I didn't mean for that, it just came out of me very quickly and i didn't have time to go back and edit it a bit. I really felt that I didn't have enough time with the G6 to form a solid opinion of it; for that I would want to sample the competition closely together, or spend more quality time in the competition at least. It's a review like this I think that we should start seeing more of on this site. We want to hear what GM fans have to say about GMs newer cars [and the competition], while still thinking in the context of what's out there on the market. The average American may have loyalty to the carmaker whose product they drive, but they're not diehards like us, and given good product they will choose from what's available. Keeping that in mind, we have to try and be considerate of everything that is out there, otherwises you're shooting yourself in the foot if you don't recognize what your audience could be capable of liking. With good, original photography that's not taken from somewhere else and shows the car in a light perhaps you haven't seen before; I know I sure would like to see the DTS in different colors with the best wheels available and in real lighting, for example. I personally think it'd be cool to read reviews from people on the site, regular people with good opinions, but trying to stay away from bias and putting it all into perspective with what's out there.

Upfront. I didn't have nearly enough time with the new G6 when I drove it to really get a feel for its performance capabilities. I did, however, come out very impressed with some key qualities this character-ful car has to offer. Exterior This has been somewhat of a controversial issue around here and with people I've talked to. The G6 concept was a gorgeous design, and many here feel the translation to production has been less than stellar. Then comes the coupe, which, initially at least, was just as big a disappointment. As usual, the GM photography initially showed the worst angles of this car, and just did not do the overall shape justice. I think one of the best angles is the side in profile. Now that I have seen it in person, I really think it is a dynamic, mature, and elegant shape, if somewhat marred by the distractingly long wheelbase. That wheelbase is better disguised in GTP format. The other thing I've been noticing lately is Pontiac just needs an overhaul for design cues. We have seen the same front and rear ends for sometime with this brand, and it's time for a rebirth. It's time they clean the slate and really open our eyes with something eye-catching. A lot of the G6's best design elements have become Japanese in nature, or the Japanese have just begun to style a lot of thier cars after Pontiac's cues (witness the proliferation of cats-eyes headlamps). Overall, I think this Pontiac is successful and it isn't. It is successful because it is a nice design, and it is unsuccessful because non-Pontiac fans won't be as convinced. As I said, the Pontiac cues need to be shelved. That rear is all Pontiac, the way the decklid is shaped, the placement of the lisence plate and the lines on the bumper scream Pontiac, and I don't know about you guys, but I am kinda tired of it. I think it's eye-catching, but once you familiarize yourself with it, it becomes all too familiar in a Pontiac-esque way. The front end is better. But it lacks the concept's finess, and emulates a lot of the JApanese competition; I know I've seen older Accord's from a distance and mistaken them for a G6 (or maybe it's the other way around). Drive. Like I said, I really didn't have enough time with this car to declare it a failure or winner. It is a winner in many respects that I can outline, but I don't know about the most crucial areas: engine performance and handling. I wasn't able to wind it out, this was a test drive with a dealer after all. This car is super quiet. Very refined and firm yet nicely damped ride. I felt like I was driving a large car with good suspension settings and great steering. The steering calibration was just right for me, it matched that of my car, which I happen to find near perfectly weighted and easy to direct. That's how I would describe the G6 steering. The handling, well I couldn't really drive it. Anyone who knows an LA afternoon, regardless of what day it is (in this case, the weekend) knows there are cars everywhere. The damping and ride were superb, and it felt like it might be pretty fun in the twisties. Engine refinement was something I thought might be lacking. Now, I really didn't get to wind it out, so I can't comment much on power except to say it felt like it might need to be broken in more. The loudness of the engine was pronounced, but that could be because overall the interior was very quiet. I didn't feel snap my head back acceleration....IDK, I can't say for certain....the manumatic feature sure was fun though, but I own a stick shift car and love it for my control of the engine, and wish sometimes I didn't have to use my foot as much (in LA traffic)... Sophistication and Quality The G6 looks the quality part on the outside. I wish it were more aggressive, but it looks very high-quality, and GM have finally catched up in that department. The interior is a little bit less world-class, but only slightly so. Meaningful improvements have been made to the interior this year, and they make a difference. The steering wheel still needs the handles like all Toyotas have in the ten and two position. The climate controls and center stack are severely lacking in the materials department. The door panels also could use some more parts to them, make 'em look less crayon-ish and like we put one big piece on thier. The leather on the doors was almost laughable. The windows moved so precisely and beautifully, it was a quality assurance for sure. The center stack is so lacking in design prowess, there's nothing exciting about it. It's just not cool in this otherwise cool Solara-competitor. Results The G6 could have been a lot of things. If it had been more aggressive and less mature (demure) it could have been a real replacement for the Grand AM coupe and finally realize that car's dream (of being a cool, powerful, sporty, refined Accord coupe-beater). Alas, it is more of a Pontiac alternative to the Solara and Accord, which I consider both demure. ehh...it's easy and hard to please me ;) Taken as what it is, however, the G6 is a fine car with a lot going for it. Preliminary rating is an 8.9 out of 10. Markdowns for somewhat cobbled exterior design and overall lack of design sophistication inside. Still waiting to really drive this hound....

hehe, you're about two years worth of bitchin' too late....ya I agree, and we all agree on this site that would have made a much better G6, and subtle improvements such as using the more expensive grille applique would also make the G6 a ton better looking. As it is, though, I think the G6 is one of the best looking sedans in the mid-size category, even if Pontiac's design cues, the twin port grille and cats-eyes, headlights are very tired. The G6 GTP also looks really awesome.

I just think the general slope of the hood is not a perfect match for the Lucerne, and the C-pillar is so darkly shaded in both the V250's picture and the picture from the commercial. But I definitely see what you're seeing in the C-pillar shape Northie. What about the rear overhang, and that front overhang looks cartoonish, notice the wheel in between his legs. This does show us one thing, GM styles thier current cars way too closely, it's been mistaken for an Impala, Lucerne, and V250, hell it even resembles a 98 Malibu.

I hope it's okay that I host your image, Ghost Dog. Now that I've seen this image, I am certain the car pictured is the Epica. I've always doubted it was the Lucerne because of the way the grille points slightly upwards, the raised hood looks as if it was designed with Euro crash standards in mind. The C-pillar is also exactly the same design, and I know that it is very similar to Lucerne. The headlights look the same on all the cars we're referring to here.

Chicago! :wub:

To me the new 9-5 is just a more aggressive version of the older car. I will reserve final judgement until I see it in person, but so far so good to me. I agree with the comment above that it's not a much more interesting proposition than the 9-3, especially with such similar engine options and better/more modern platform.

evok and griffon have said it's a daewoo magnus that will become chevy epica in canada and other euro markets, I would beleive them, they know. It really looks a lot like an oversized, bloated new Aveo, so it probably is it.

they didn't actually drive the car.... as for the interior, I agree the wood looks nice in this application, and hopefully some of the materials used are higher quality, but I hate hate hate that they used GM corporate radio and Hvac controls. It isn't cool in a Saab. Hurry up and show us new Saabs, or what they are working on at least.

As others have proven, this is not the Malibu. No Malibu that looks like that would be called stunning by any sane person.

Nice for Buick, but it should NEVER fall in the same class as the Altima. And that is exactly what is wrong with Buick these days. If they have anything in the 20k range it should be a Volvo S40 type car, where the premium-ness of the car justifies that price tag. There's just nothing special about Buick these days, and there hasn't been for too long. Drop-dead gorgeous designs and interiors would go a long way to remedy this.

I love the profile. And I'm actually a big fan of the wheels on this car, and on the others too, there's something about them I like. I do, I like them, even on the Impala. (getting ready for a pelting)